Southern California Wildfire Burns 1,000 Acres; Thousands Flee

Crews in Southern California struggled to get the upper hand on a fast-moving wildfire in Santa Barbara County early Tuesday.

Known as the White Fire, the blaze had already charred some 1,000 acres after getting its start Monday afternoon, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Andrew Madsen said. The flames were 5% contained.

The Forest Service expects to have 700 personnel in place Tuesday morning.

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department evacuated up to 6,000 people from the popular White Rock Campground at the end of the busy Memorial Day weekend as the wildfire advanced, public information officer Kelly Hoover said.

Although the fire caused minor damage to a ranger station, it quickly moved deeper into Los Padres National Forest, away from homes and structures, according to Madsen.

No injuries or fatalities have been reported.

Santa Barbara is located about 85 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.